At Ball State University in Indiana, the basic course (COMM 210) focuses communication concepts and skills with the goals of helping students understand basic communication principles, providing them with the opportunity to improve their communication skills, and enhancing their awareness of communication's role in culture. Special emphasis is placed on preparing, selecting, organizing, and delivering oral messages, as well as on analyzing and evaluating the speaking-listening process. Many of the course's activities are of a collaborative nature allowing students to work with other students in the enhancement of communication skills. COMM 210 is one of five required University Core Curriculum (UCC) courses. The UCC program is required of all undergraduate students regardless of the academic majors they choose. Consisting of 41 credits, the UCC program is designed to help all Ball State students realize from their education the core benefits of knowledge, skills, and values. The central purpose of UCC is to enable women and men to live rich, satisfying lives and to undertake the broad responsibilities of citizens in a free society. After explaining UCC (and COMM 210) at Ball State, this paper offers students suggestions for making the basic course work for them. The paper next presents some assessment results--from the Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA) and the Personal Report of Ability (PRA) assessment, from student survey assessment, from exam assessment, from speech assessment, and from assessment of written assignments. It then offers some concluding thoughts on how a basic course in communication can remain true to the discipline and still fit into a general education program. (Contains 10 notes and 14 references.) (NKA)